End fittings

ABSTRACT

An end fitting for a device comprising a plurality of pipes located within an outer sheath, each of the pipes having a spigot and, comprising a plug member having a plurality of holes, one spigot end projecting through each of the holes. The plug member is insertable into a socket member having a plurality of holes for receiving the spigot ends and means are provided to hold the two members together. Each spigot end may be rotatable in the respective hole in the plug member.

United States Patent Goward et al.

[ 1 Oct. 30, 1973 END FITTINGS Inventors: Stanley Harold Goward; MichaelRobert Goddard, both of London, England BTR Industries Limited, London,England Filed: Feb. 4, 1972 Appl. No; 223,494

Assignee:

US. Cl. 285/137 R, 285/305 Int. Cl. Fl6l 39/00 Field of Search 285/137R, 305, 136,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1971 Woollen et a1285/137 R 9/1970 Goward et a1. 285/305 8/1967 Schott 285/137 R 2/1955Summerville 285/137 R 3,305,249 2/1967 Zahuranec 285/137 R FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 61,399 .4/1968 Germany 285/137 R 648,266 10/1962Italy 285/137 R 1,216,767 12/1970 Great Britain 285/137 R PrimaryExaminer-Thomas F. Callaghan AttorneyWatson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57]ABSTRACT An end fitting for a device comprising a plurality of pipeslocated within an outer sheath, each of the pipes having a spigot and,comprising a plug member having a plurality of holes, one spigot endprojecting through each of the holes. The plug member is insertable intoa socket member having a plurality of holes for receiving the spigotends and means are provided to hold the two members together. Eachspigot end may be rotatable in the respective hole in the plug member.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Oct. 30, 1973 3,768,844

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Oct. 30,1973

2 Shoots-Sheet r.

END FITTINGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to endfittings for multi-pipe devices, which comprise a plurality of pipeslocated within a sheath.

It is known to have a plurality of pipes located within a sheath. It isan object of the invention to provide an end fitting for such amulti-pipe device in which each pipe of the device individuallycommunicates with a duct provided in a socket member to which the endfitting can be attached, whilst allowing the device as a whole to beflexed without straining the ends of each pipe within the sheath.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, an endfitting for a multipipe device comprising a plurality of pipes locatedwithin a sheath each pipe having a spigot provided on the free endthereof, comprises, in combination, a plug member attachable to the freeend of the sheath, a plurality of holes extending through the plugmember and each being capable of receiving one spigot such that eachspigot may project through a hole, a socket member, means to axiallyalign the socket member and the plug member, the socket member having aplurality of holes each opposed to a hole in said end face and capableof receiving a spigot when the two members are aligned, and means tohold the two members together.

The invention also provides an end fitting according to the abovedescribed arrangement in combination with an end portion of a multi-pipedevice comprising a plurality of pipes located within a sheath each pipehaving a spigot provided on the free end thereof.

Locking means may be provided to retain each spigot in the hole throughwhich it projects.

In the last described arrangement, the locking means may permit relativerotation between a locked spigot and the plug member.

Sealing means may be provided on each spigot such that when the plugmember and the socket member are held together each spigot makesfluid-tight engagement with an aligned hole in the socket member.

The means for holding the two members together may be releasable, andmay comprise a U-shaped clip insertable into at least two aperturesprovided in the socket member, and engageable with a groove provided inthe plug member.

Each hole in the socket member may terminate in a threaded borecommunicating with an outer wall of the socket member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a part-sectional view of onespecific embodiment of end fitting constructed in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a section on line AA on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on line BB on FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The end fitting illustrated inthe drawings is shown attached to the free end of a conduited flexiblemultipipe cable 11 comprising six flexible hoses 12 located within aflexible wire reinforced sheath 13. The free end of each hose 12 isprovided with a spigot 14. Each spigot 14 may be attached to therespective hose, for example, by means of a crimped ferrule, whichcompresses the hose body on to a part of the spigot which has beeninserted into the bore of the hose.

A tubular member 15 is inserted into the free end of the sheath 13, anda ferrule 16 is crimped on to the sheath to compress the sheath bodyinto engagement with the tubular member 15. A nut 17 is rotatablymounted on the tubular member 15 and is engaged with correspondingthreads provided on a plug member 18. The plug member 18 has an end face19 which has six holes extending therethrough, a spigot 14 projectingthrough each hole.

Each spigot 14 has a groove 20 formed in its outer surface adjacent theouter side of the end face of the spigot, in which groove 20 a circlip21 is located. The circlip prevents withdrawal of the spigot on which itis fitted through the associated hole, but permits relative rotationbetween the spigot and the plug member 18. (FIG. 4).

Each spigot 14 has a further groove 22 adjacent the free end thereof, inwhich an O-ring seal 23 is located, for a purpose described below.

The plug member 18 has a cylindrical outer surface 24 co-axial with theaxis of the tubular member, and is provided with a hexagonal portion 25by which it may be held against rotation when the nut 17 is tightened onthe threaded portions.

The plug member is insertable within a socket member 26, provided with acylindrical bore 27 in which the outer surface 24 may be received. Thesocket member has six holes 28 formed therein each aligned with a holein the plug member such that as the plug member is inserted into thesocket member each spigot enters an aligned hole in the socket member.

The wall of the cylindrical bore 27 is provided with four apertures 29into which a U-shaped clip 30 may be inserted. A groove 31 is providedin the cylindrical outer surface 24'of the plug member, such that thearms of the clip 30 engage the walls of the groove and resist withdrawalof the plug member from the socket member (FIG. 3).

Each hole 28 terminates in a threaded bore 32 which communicates with anouter wall of the scoket member, and a conventional threaded connector(not shown) maybe screwed into the bores 32.

The socket member is shown inserted through a hole provided in a plate33, a nut 34 being engaged with threads on the socket member to hold thesocket member in position. However, any other convenient means may beemployed to hold the socket member.

In use, the circlips 21 permit relative rotation between any of thespigots (and hence the hoses to which they are attached) and the plugmember 18, while preventing withdrawal of the spigots through the holesin the plug member. Such relative rotation may be caused, for example,by cabling the multi-pipe within sheath 13.

The 0-ring seals 23 on the spigots make a fluid-tight connection betweenthe spigots and the holes provided in the socket member.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the plug member is providedwith a tubular portion insertable directly into the sheath, and aferrule is crimped on to the body of the sheath to hold the sheath andthe tubu lar portion together.

A similar connector to either of the above described arrangements may beused at the other end (not shown) of the multi-shape cable 11.

, An advantage of the end fitting is that each hose 12 is allowed torotate with respect to the plug member 18. There is a tendency for suchrotation to occur during flexing of the sheath, or when a length of themulti-pipe cable 11 is being wound on a drum or the like.

We claim: 7

1. A hose assembly comprising:

a. a multi-pipe hose having a plurality of flexible pipes located withina flexible sheath;

b. a tubular end fitting anchored to and projecting axially from one endof the sheath;

c. a plug member rotatably mounted at the free end of the tubular endfitting, the plug member having a plurality of holes extendingtherethrough;

d. an external threaded portion provided on the plug member;

e. a union nut located on the end fitting and engageable with saidthreaded portion on said'plug member to lock the plug member to the endfitting against relative rotation;

f. a plurality of spigots attached to the ends of the pipes adjacent theplug member respectively to form extensions of the pipes, each spigotbeing engageable in a respective hole in the plug member and, when soengaged, being free to rotate with respect to the plug member;

g. a socket member;

h. means to axially align the socket member and the plug member;

i. a plurality of holes in the socket member, each hole in the socketmember being opposed to a hole in the plug member and receiving a spigotwhen said two members are aligned; and

j. means to hold the two members together.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which sealing means are providedon each spigot such that when the plug member and the socket member areheld together each spigot makes fluid-tight engagement with an alignedhole in the socket member.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for holding thetwo members together is releasable.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the holding meanscomprises a U-shaped clip insertable into at least two aperturesprovided in the socket memher, and engageable with a groove provided inthe plug member.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each hole in the socketmember terminates in a threaded bore communicating with an outer wall ofthe socket member.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided forretaining the spigots in said holes in the plug member, which retainingmeans permit relative rotation between each of the spigots and the plugmember.

1. A hose assembly comprising: a. a multi-pipe hose having a plurality of flexible pipes located within a flexible sheath; b. a tubular end fitting anchored to And projecting axially from one end of the sheath; c. a plug member rotatably mounted at the free end of the tubular end fitting, the plug member having a plurality of holes extending therethrough; d. an external threaded portion provided on the plug member; e. a union nut located on the end fitting and engageable with said threaded portion on said plug member to lock the plug member to the end fitting against relative rotation; f. a plurality of spigots attached to the ends of the pipes adjacent the plug member respectively to form extensions of the pipes, each spigot being engageable in a respective hole in the plug member and, when so engaged, being free to rotate with respect to the plug member; g. a socket member; h. means to axially align the socket member and the plug member; i. a plurality of holes in the socket member, each hole in the socket member being opposed to a hole in the plug member and receiving a spigot when said two members are aligned; and j. means to hold the two members together.
 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which sealing means are provided on each spigot such that when the plug member and the socket member are held together each spigot makes fluid-tight engagement with an aligned hole in the socket member.
 3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for holding the two members together is releasable.
 4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the holding means comprises a U-shaped clip insertable into at least two apertures provided in the socket member, and engageable with a groove provided in the plug member.
 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each hole in the socket member terminates in a threaded bore communicating with an outer wall of the socket member.
 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided for retaining the spigots in said holes in the plug member, which retaining means permit relative rotation between each of the spigots and the plug member. 